The Whole Armor of Godਨਮੂਨਾ

We Need the Whole Armor of God—Always!

In heaven, we will not need armor. However, here on earth, we must wear it day and night. We must wake, eat, breathe, pray, walk, work, play, and sleep in it if we are to fulfill our mission as faithful soldiers of Jesus Christ.

Wise theologians warn that when we trust in God’s grace and follow Christ, it signals a shift in our allegiance from the dominion of darkness to the kingdom of light. Our stance against the forces of evil is defined, prompting the enemy to shift his offensive strategy against us.

God exhorts us to be strong in Christ, the strength of His might, and take up all the armor He has given us. Then, having put on the whole armor of God, He tells us to stand. We do not have the strength in ourselves to accomplish this; we need Jesus. Praise God, we are united with Him. We are seated with Him, “God raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” (Eph. 2:6 ESV), and we live on earth and find ourselves in the midst of a battlefield in our everyday lives. We are also in Christ, and He is in us (Gal. 2:20 ESV)!

In this earthly realm, we fulfill our calling as Christian soldiers as we live each day in our homes, our families, our marriages, with our children, and in the workplace. In each of these areas, we encounter the wily ways of our adversary.

Imagine waking up one morning and finding yourself in the trenches of a literal battlefield on the Western Front. Warfare is not how we imagined the Christian life! Paul lovingly warns the Ephesians and us not to frighten or discourage us or cause us to obsess over evil. He wants us to understand that we are surrounded by a fierce enemy so that we are not caught unaware, unprepared, or unarmed.

We must not be ignorant nor foolishly look the other way, trying to pretend he is not there. We cannot live with the hope that once we fight off the attack five or ten times, he will be gone, never to return. Unlike most wars, this battle is not going to end until Jesus returns. Paul, like a good soldier, helps equip us for battle.

Ask the Lord to give you understanding so you can comprehend the spiritual weapons God has given to you.